Tea, Cake, and Good Company

The little restaurant that Zeke frequents is in the market district, and though it's a bit of a hike from his home, he had noticed his patient feeling a bit cooped up. It's warm inside, far from the icy roads that had made getting here more of a challenge than it might have been otherwise. Zeke is thusly, on high alert for how tired Seldan is after their long walk. Quickly finding them a table and waiting patiently for a server to attend to them. "How are you feeling?"

"Well enough." Seldan is usually in excellent shape and excellent health, and normally, this walk would be nothing to him. It did not appear to be nothing now, and he took his time, suggesting that that ship will right itself soon enough.

Just not quite yet.

So it is that he had settled into the chair without demur, and finds it much easier to do with no weapons or armor to contend with, for even if one cannot see the armor he nearly always wears, he can most certainly feel it, he just seldom makes mention of it. After all, it does not do to announce one's security precautions.

He leans back once seated, and he, too, seems perfectly content to wait - and catch a breather. "Strange that a battle in which no weapon was raised would weary one so."

"A battle of the willsss can be just as hard on the body and mind ass one waged with weaponsss." Zeke states, but not without some amusement. The little shop is quite busy, which attests to its good food and even better teas. The scent of which are prevalent and awaken the appetite quite accurately. Enough so that Zeke's stomach makes a quiet and embarrassing rumble.

If Zeke's is rumbling, that rumble only join's Seldan's. Keeping him fed and hydrated the last few days has proven no easy task, and while he does not complain or push, he is definitely making up for lost time. "It was no easy task, that may I say with surety," the paladin replies with a very small smile. "And grateful I am that it is done. I thank you for your aid. How did you come to find me?"

Thankfully the waitress is on her way. Albiet slowly. "Sserene sssent for thisss one." Zeke explains, watching the waitress pass the other tables on her way to theirs. "Ssshe had taken you to ssome-where that thisss one wasss scertain you would not wissh to wake, ssso thiss one helped her move you to thiss oness nesst insstead." His words belay the difficulty of convincing those at the Soldier's Defense to allow them to leave with Seldan, much less the effort of moving Seldan through the bitterly cold streets via litter.

Seldan's eyes lower, a hint of embarrassment written in the gesture, examining his hands dropped in his lap. "I must offer her my thanks for that. I do not suppose that you refer to the Soldier's Defense?" He looks up as he asks the question, and his eyes, too, end up following the waitress, but silently so. "We - were not far from here."

"Thisss one doess." Admits Zeke, though he had not intended to tell Seldan such, but he could not _lie_ about the truth of it either. He falls silent on the subject as their waitress approaches, ordering a favorite tea and some cake for himself. It's not really appropriate dinner fare, but at least he can be certain that it does not have meat in it. Considering that soft-skins do not put such things in their sweets - mostly. He waits patiently for Seldan to make his order, and for the waitress to leave before quietly continuing their conversation. "You mean, that you defeated him closse to thisss location?"

The convulsive shudder that ripples across Seldan's shoulders speaks very clearly to the wise and clear eyes that had guided Zeke's judgment on the matter, but he instead turns to the waitress, ordering tea and cakes for himself as well. Such niceties as "dinner fare" do not appear to concern him overmuch, and he orders enough to share or take home, as the needs dictate. He, too, waits until the waitress has taken down everything and bounced off down the tables, then nods. "Not far from here. The mage's mansion spell is one that must be planned, but is most effective. It is best, do I not say where, and we have spoken of why that is so. In truth do I pray that the other fiends that had found their way into the city were removed with equal finality."

"It wasss a daring, and yet ssseemingly well-executed plan. Thisss one musst agree with you of coursse, in the hopesss that the city will be finally rid of thosse thingsss which plague it... if only for a time." Zeke does not in truth believe that Alexandria can ever be fully rid of those things which trouble it. "Partially, it ssseemss to thiss one asss if the Guild it-sself doess bring ssome of the trouble which Alexandria sseess to itss sshoress."

"Would that I could say that you were wrong, and yet can I not." Seldan shakes his head slowly. "In truth do I rethink my association to the Guild," he admits. "I - had not wished to think ill of my allies, but there can be no denying that some are as dangerous as they are said to be. Malik is not wrong in his assessment, and yet do I find it - perhaps one may fairly say _cynical_."

Zeke nods to this, considering the question at hand and then shrugging. "Will you take a ressst from the worriess of Alexandria for a time Sseldan? Or once you are recovered fully, do you intend to throw your-ssself back into the midsst of thingsss?" The sith is at least partially invested in this question, being that he has been taking care of Seldan, and also because he has resolved to take some of the pressure off of the paladin.

Seldan doesn't answer at once, his lips thinning. "I have spoken to you of Grauthis the Griever," he murmurs at a volume not to be heard beyond the table, not in a place this busy. He drums his fingers on the table slowly, his gaze searching out Zeke's. "That and one other thing demand my attention."

Zeke tilts his head. Not so much at the thought that something else requires Seldan's attention, but rather the way that Seldan says that. "Do you intend to retire Ssseldan? Onsce thessse two thingsss are taken care of?" Zeke in no way indicates that he thinks this is a good or bad idea, but rather it is merely a question which the answering of is very important to him.

At that, Seldan cracks a very small, rueful smile. He does indeed seem more relaxed, more willing to smile now, in the last few days, although it is yet a guarded thing, as if he is not _completely_ sure Eclavdran is gone. It's an almost surreal thing, really, the idea that the threat might be well and truly ended. "My service to her is without end upon Ea, Zeke. And yet, do I weary of this place, I think. Malik has no love for it, and much has happened here. We traveled for a time, away from Alexandria, seeking answers and a means to free ourselves. Now that we are free - it is in my mind to perhaps seek a better nation than this one."

Zeke nods, swishing his tail once as their tea and food is brought to them. He remains silent until the waitress divests herself of their things and disappears into the busy crowd once again before he speaks; picking up his tea even as he does so. "Thisss one undersstandss. Truly, thiss one hass been consssidering leaving Alexandria ass well. It doesss not truly ssuit thiss one, and... There isss reasson to go to Mictlan. Perhapss even return home to Am'shere."

"Thank you." Seldan is polite about accepting his own food and drink, and dives in with a will to both tea and a small cake. "I would miss you, and yet do you find comfort among your people, then I wish you all joy of it. I know not that I would be welcome among the People, but - that is a thing to be decided not here and now. Still, I cannot deny that Alexandria is a place corrupt, and that I shall weary of seeing innocents harmed in the name of arrogance and foolishness."

He pauses, long enough to chew the bite of cake he'd taken, then goes on. "And yet is there another side of me, a side that demands that I defend the innocent of this city from the forces that would corrupt it or destroy it. The people of this place deserve better."

"Thisss one undersstandsss the impulsse. The need to protect others and see their livess made better. Yet... Thiss one would remind you that there are few placess in thisss world that would not benifit from your attentionsss. Are their peoplesss lesss desserving of your betterment?" Zeke takes a deep breath of his tea before tasting it. He's slower about his food and drink than Seldan is. But that's his way. Slow and steady. "Perhapsss it isss time, or sssoon will be time, for you to find a plasce more appreciative."

He takes another breath and looks at Seldan side-eyed. "Thisss one isss not alwayss comfortable amongssst otherss of the People, but thisss one hasss other reassonss that make Mictlan and Am'shere attractive optionss ssshould thisss one go."

"I would hear those reasons, do you wish to share them." Seldan sets down the rest of his tea cake and takes a slow, experimental sip of his tea. "In truth do I know little enough of your family, or that which you most desire."

Zeke seems to consider this then nods. His gaze goes half distant as he speaks, clearly thinking of another time and place. "Thisss oness nesst-mother wasss and remainsss sssick in her mind. Ssshe kept thisss one in the nessst for nearly a hundred yearsss, worried that thisss one wass too broken to make it in the world." He smiles bitterly. "Then, thiss one felt a pull. A need to sssee the world. It wasss, the Dragonfather thiss one thinksss. Calling thisss one from ssafety and out. You mussst imagine Ssseldan, thisss one did not have thesse amaszing limbs then. Thisss one wasss carried by ssticksss and hope."

"Thisss one wass followed by a near-hatchling. Geir. Whom you have met. Thisss one wasss filled with feelingss for him, but did not believe that thiss one wasss desserving of reciprocation. Ssso we parted wayss. Thisss one found the Dragonfather, and wasss gifted thessse limbsss by Hiss priessstess." Zeke's story is clearly not a short one. "Then, thisss one came to Alexandria, called for reasssonsss that we now know. To sssave Cryossanthia, and to aid you againsst Ssalina."

He lowers his head. "Then, thisss one left, hardly telling a sssoul, but drawing the demon away from Alexandria for a time. When he returned, thiss one did asss well and thisss one felt that thisss onesss duty wasss to Cryosssanthia." He looks at Seldan then. "But you, with your sstrength hasss helped thisss one find value in sself. And sso thisss one confesssed to Geir that thisss one hass cared for him sssince we were both young. He, before thisss one could utter the wordsss; confesssed to thisss one!"

Zeke looks shocked still by this development, and his story near-done falls silent a moment. "Thisss one knowss now that there isss a duty to love. For it isss a gift of the godsss. We mussst, ass their sservantsss sserve it truly. At leassst, thisss one believess it iss ssso. Sso thisss one wissshesss not-thing sso much ass to sserve the Dragonfather; in thanksss for hiss gift, and alsso... to ssserve love."

Both of Seldan's eyebrows go up in surprise, his smile brightening like a spring dawn across the even features. "You have found one to love! Truly is that joyous and momentous news, and well am I pleased for you." He wears almost the same expression that Zeke will have seen him wear in those moments when it is only the two of them and Malik. "You would follow him, then, and not at all do I begrudge you that, if it be so."

"It remainsss to be ssseen where we will choosse to go, or remain. No choisce hass been made yet." He seems pleased with Seldan's pleasure, setting down the tea cup and trying his cake. "Thisss one will not leave again with-out telling any-one of the intent, and scertainly you will be the firsst to know. Thisss one would like to help you finisssh your workss before any ssuch thing any-ways."

"Even so, and well am I pleased to have your aid." Another bite of tea cake, another sip of tea - at least Seldan is eating with a good appetite, a good sign. "You are forgiven the swift departure, for scarce were Mal and I any better. It is true, though, that I have works to finish, ere I depart. In these shall I engage Mal as well, in hopes that he may also aid us. When those are done, then will we speak of parting ways."

The blue-scale nods his agreement, but hopes in his way, which is a short silent prayer to the Dragonfather... That he will have no need to say good-bye to his kin. Or at least, that they will meet again should there be a parting of their ways. After all, such had occurred for Geir and himself. He eats his cake in comfortable silence with Seldan, enjoying the tea and the simple pleasure of sharing space with someone whos presence is a familiar thing.

-End